((( Hearing Aid Loaner Bank Programs

The 2007 Position Statement of the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing recommends that children identified with hearing loss should have immediate access to high-quality technology, including hearing aids. Access, however, is often slowed by the cost of hearing aids for parents or delays in insurance or third-party approvals. Oftentimes insurance does not cover the purchase and fitting of a hearing aid. Hearing aid loaner banks are a resource that can provide immediate, though temporary, access to appropriate amplification for young children with hearing loss whose parents choose that option.

In a survey conducted by NCHAM in 2011, one or more hearing aid loaner banks were identified in 26 states/territories. Eleven states/territories may have a hearing aid loaner bank but did not complete a survey and sixteen states/territories do not have a hearing aid loaner bank.